Help with Visually Impaired at WDW???

[madonna31]

My mother has diabetes and due to it, has lost complete sight in her left eye and what extremelly little sight she has left in her right eye is very blurry. She is considered legally blind...

We have been going to WDW almost every year since 1974 and after my mother being terrified of going ANYWHERE for the past year, my dad and I have finally talked her into going with DH, and I to WDW in 2003.

My question is - I dont know where to start. I mean I know Disney MUST do things for the visually impaired, and I was hoping that someone hear could tell me about any websites or discussion boards that may have information for handicapped people visiting WDW. You see - this is all still very new to us and none of us know how to handle it or what to do. ANY information will be terrific!

Thanks in advance,
Christine

 

[teri]

Disney does offer some special services for people with visual disabilities and medical needs. For example, they offer front-and-center seating in shows. There is information about the services offered on the DIS pages for people with visual disabilities, on the official Disney website pages, and in the downloadable Guidebooks for Guests With Disabilities.

I put together links to all of those pages on the Disabilities FAQ along with other tips and advice for people with special needs. You should also read about the Guest Assistance Card. Feel free to ask questions - the people on this board are very knowledgeable.

If your mom uses insulin, be sure to ask reservations to have a sharps container in your room for needle disposal. If she needs a refrigerator, that cn be in the room as well, and it appears that there is no charge when you make this part of your reservation as a medical request through special reservations.

 

[olena]

I'm legally blind and do WDW often. I get a GAC, but I have some problems with it. The one for the visual impairments have a pre-fab paragraph. It says to let the party sit in the front. It says nothing about sitting in the center, as well. I complain every time, since I have no central vision. I did have an instance at Pirates of the Caribbean with a CM. I showed my GAC at the loading area and asked for the front. She said I was lucky that the line was short enough to let us sit there. Otherwise, she didn't have to let us. HUH?

My other problem occurred at the Hall of Presidents. There was only one CM to show my GAC to. He directed me to stand at a particular spot. Then he opened the doors and a stampede poured into the dark theater. So not only was I blinded by the change in lighting, I was being pushed and shoved by kids sprinting for the front row. They even took up the seats next to wheelchair spots and made a huge fuss about how unfair it was that they had to move. (There were families with guests in wheelchairs who needed those seats.) I didn't even press my case. I just sat in the back, cuz I didn't feel like arguing with these apparently 'parentless' children. So do yourself a favor and ask if you can find seats before everyone else may enter.

Otherwise, everything went well enough. I'm sure your family will do well.

 

[SueM in MN]

Sorry to hear you got stuck in the stampede. Maybe the CM could write something additional on your GAC that would help. I don't think they always have to stick strictly to the stamped message (as long as they write something brief).
My 2 other hints would be:
- try to find out from the CM before you go in which way the front of the theater is. Sometimes you enter at the back of the theater and sometimes the entrance is to the side. At least if you get caught in a stampede, you'll know whether it's going the way you want to go or not.

- don't assume that you should always be seated where wheelchair/ecv users are seated. In a few shows, those of us with wheelchairs in our party are in the front row, but more often the wheelchair seats are in the back of the theater.